The (Almost) Complete Guide to Lisbon Portugal

I decided to put together this (Almost) complete guide to Lisbon Portugal based on my travels, movendo-se para o país, dealing with locals and learning about what it means to be an expat in Portugal. As some of our readers know that Blanca and I have spent 10-years traveling the world. Living in cities for 3-6 months at a time. We have been lucky enough to run two wonderful startups which have allowed us to see over 45 países. Finally, after all those treks we decided to settle down in Lisboa (Lisbon) Portugal.

Este guia irá lhe fornecer itens essenciais, tais como lidar com a burocracia, encontrar lugares para se viver, preços, sair para comer, meeting people and leisure. It is not a complete guide and it is growing on a daily basis. As we learn more, we will add various sections and amend portions of this piece. I hope you enjoy and learn more about our amazing new home. Se você tem uma pergunta em particular para nós, apenas deixá-lo nos comentários.

The (Almost) Complete Guide to Lisbon Portugal

Let’s first talk about the legality of what is needed to move to Portugal. Portugal is a Schengen country, e desde que eu sou americano, I will be focusing fully on Americans moving to Portugal. I do not know the laws or rules of other countries, mas estou certo de que este guia vai ajudar não-americanos, até certo ponto.

Como um americano, you are only allowed to stay in Portugal on a tourist visa for 90-days at a time with a total of 180-days per year. So think of it like 90-days in, 90-dia de folga, then back again. Rinse and repeat. You can request an extension of the tourist visa two times in a row. So, there is a possibility of a 270-day stay. In order to do this, você deve chamar o SEF and make an appointment. They usually ask for a fee. Eles vão pedir que você traga um endereço, algumas informações financeiras, prova de seguro e seu passaporte.

Encontrar o seu primeiro apartamento em Lisboa

Before you move to Portugal it is our suggestion that you first spend a few weeks or months seeing the country. We suggest you alugar um apartamento de curto prazo in a traditional neighborhood such as Santos or Estrela and then test out other neighborhoods to get a feel for where you want to live. Não faça um compromisso de longo prazo, sem saber o que você gosta. De outra forma, você pode acabar vivendo em uma rua movimentada no Bairro Alto onde você não será capaz de dormir à noite por causa de todas as partiers.

Eating & Drinking in Portugal

Logística em se mudar para Lisboa Portugal

Once you have your apartment in the perfect neighborhood with old ladies hanging their clothes out the window (and keeping their eye on you) and you’ve walked up each of the 7 colinas, você vai começar a sentir como um local. Este é o momento em que você precisa para dar o próximo passo e se tornar um residente, arrendatário, proprietário de terras, and start your new life. Let’s break down the various processes on how to become a Portuguese local.

Visa português

I hope these tips and articles have helped you integrate easier into Portuguese society. I have come to love Portugal. I think Lisbon is a great place to call home. My new home country has amazing perks like 2-hour travel to Paris, Madrid, Barcelona, and London. I can be on a gorgeous beach in 30 minutes (by train). Prices in Portugal are amazing (but rising fast). People here are wonderful. English is spoken by many of the locals AND there is a budding expat community, so while you should learn Portuguese – it won’t be impossible for you to live here without it.

Portugal é um ótimo lugar para viver. I hope you enjoy it…and if you have questions for me or if you think there is something missing from this Guide to Lisbon Portugal – let me know in the comments section below.

8 Comments

Thank you for your excellent posts about moving to Portugal. My wife and I are seriously in pursuit of that goal and I’m doing research to that end nearly every day. One question we’ve struggled to answer is: At what point in the immigration process would be qualify for state sponsored medical care in PT. For example, would we be able to access relatively inexpensive (esp. by US standards) care in PT once we have our initial Residency Permit?

As I understand it, especially if you apply for the D7 and if you are accepted for the NHR, you are not eligible to use state-sponsored healthcare. The state healthcare system is good but slow. My Portuguese friends tell me that it takes months to actually get to see a provider. On a great note, health insurance here costs significantly less than it costs in the USA and once you have private health insurance, things are very affordable.